Creative Uses for Aromatherapy

Creative Uses for Aromatherapy

Copyright 2006 Francesca Black

The Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all recognized the therapeutic properties of essential oils and plant extracts. The use of plant oils can be traced back over 6000 years. Individuals in many cultures believed that scent inspires the imagination and frees the spirit. In modern society many individuals are finding innovative ways to incorporate aromatic scents into their daily lives, to elicit feelings of relaxation and contentment.

Bath

Oil and water don't always mix well, so consider mixing 6-10 drops of aromatherapy essential oils with 1/8 of a cup of milk or soy milk, then add it to a warm running bath water. Do not add the essential oil blend until you are ready to get into the bath, this will allow you to enjoy the initial release of the oils into the bath.

Facial

Facial are another technique used to help individuals relax. Added benefits to steam facials include cleansing of pores, and softening of the skin. Adding an aromatherapy scent to the facial will bring additional pleasure.

Fill a large bowl, a quarter of the way full up with very hot water. The larger the bowl the more hot water it will hold. More water will produce more more steam. Add 2 to 4 drops of your favorite essential oil blend to the hot water, hold your head over the bowl and cover both the bowl and your head with the towel. The steam will rise invigorating your pores. Take short breaks if you find yourself becoming to warm.

Massage

In practice since ancient times, massage is a relaxing experience of hand strokes on the body to rejuvenate the mind and body and eliminate stress. Using hands and fingers, the message therapist alleviates any kind of muscular pains and discomforts and relaxes the muscles. Massage creams or oils will help the hands move smoothly over the muscles. Add essential oils to scent the massage oil and bring additional relaxation. Be careful not to apply undiluted oils to the skin. Pure essential oils should always be diluted with pure carrier oil or added to an existing base cream.

Another common way to manage muscle relaxation is to rub essential oil blends into the soles of the feet, and put on warm socks. The heat from the socks, causes the essential oils to be quickly absorbed into the skin.

Healing

Essential oils have been used for generations to heal, enhance and maintain good health. Essential oils can be used as a gentle remedy for headaches and muscle aches. It is important to understand how your body reacts to various scents, so that you can induce muscle relaxation when necessary. Specific health ailments should always be properly diagnosed from a licensed medical practitioner, while essential oils can enhance medical care rarely are they a lone solution to serious health concerns.

Skin Care or Aesthetic

Essential oils can help decrease wrinkles, clear acne, aid dry skin and help clear cellulite. Studying the properties of essential oils and how they can be used will bring a greater understanding to the power of essential oils.

The olfactory cells in your nose are the only place in the whole body where the central nervous system is directly in contact with the external environment. This fact is not lost on the medical community. The oldest medical text in existence is recorded on two clay tablets from the Sumerian period around 3500 BC. The clay tablets discuss the use of aromatics in medical practice.

Most of the advanced work on Aromatherapy has been done in France where French physicians, after completing medical school, have the option to continue with several more years of learning so that they can use and prescribe essential oils in their medical practices. In fact tradition medicine is now acknowledging the use of aromatherapy in medical practice . A recent article published in the journal Pediatrics, indicated that pleasant odors, can help premature infants that are in incubators, with the breathing disorder, apnea.

There is no certification for aromatherapists in the United States. However, there are over 2,000 clinical aromatherapists who prescribe aromatherapy for all kinds of ailments, including acne, fungus, asthma, allergies, and constipation. Traditional medicine and ancient remedies are merging in modern day medicine.

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About the Author Francesca Black works in marketing at Organic Items www.organic-items.com and Aromatherapy Blends www.aromatherapy-blends.net leading portals for organic products and essential oils.